Rebels lack composure

 

McGahan added that the Rebels need to be more clinical, and cannot afford mistakes such as the intercept try after the half-time hooter had sounded that saw Stormers wing Dillyn Leyds snatch and cross over for five points.

 

"We lacked some composer there, we needed to be a bit more clinical and kick it out. It certainly left us a little declined coming into the second-half," said McGahan.

 

He also highlighted the period when the Rebels got an early three points in the second-half, as they began t claw their way back into the game, but almost straight after the restart handed a penalty back to the Stormers, and Demetri Catrakilis nullified those three points.

 

"We scored three points early on in the second-half, and gave three points straight back again with a lack of composure, resulting in another big swing on the scoreboard." 

 

Rebels' captain Scott Higginbotham agreed with McGahan, but also praised the Stormers for taking advantage and playing great rugby off their errors. 

 

"It is disappointing for us to have silly individual errors like that, but credit to the Stormers for playing off them," explained Higginbotham.

 

"They played some great football off our errors."

 

The Stormers scrum was a powerhouse against the Rebels. The home-side won 10 scrums and lost just one, and they managed to score nine points from scrum penalties. 

 

"They [the Stormers] have got a good scrum, they based a lot of their game off it this year and its a powerful weapon for them," added Higginbotham.

 

"And they used it on both sides, once on our ball and twice on theirs, picking up nine points from the scrum."

 

With the Rebels hopes of a play-off spot pretty much down and out, McGahan still believes that his troops will show up for the game against the Sharks next weekend in Durban.

 

"We won't have a problem with picking the guys up, we have a great group, our guys will be back up next week and get stuck in just like they did tonight," said McGahan.

 

"We just need a little bit more composure, and we will continue to get that. 

 

"We have had a lot of good lessons this year, and we are adding and growing all the time to what we doing."